The App Store is the home to many VNC apps that let you run a desktop using your iOS device. Some are quite good, but most are too clunky, slow, and cumbersome. Edovia’s Screens app for the Mac and iOS released more than two years ago and just received a major overhaul with new features that leapfrog rival offerings. Coupled with the new Screens Connect service at screensconnect.com, Screens 2.0 is by far the most elegant solution to connect to a Mac or PC box through your iPhone, iPod touch or iPad through a local network or the web.

Upon installing the Mac client, simply enable screen sharing under System Preferences -> Sharing and registering your computer with Screens Connect (which takes care of network changes and configuring your router for UPnP and NAT-PMP) and that is all it takes for the iOS app to auto-configure itself. Screens 2.0 also sports iCloud integration for seamless experience across devices. It is the kind of app that will truly shine on Retina Display iPad 3…

One of the nifty new features in Screens 2.0 is the ability to grab a screenshot of the remote desktop and a new toolbar with common keyboard shortcuts and customizable gestures. The latter lets you use Screens on your iPad to invoke, say, Mission Control on a Mac using a four-finger gesture on the tablet. Other perks include AirPlay Mirroring, so you can beam the remote screen wirelessly to your television through the Apple TV and secure communication with SSH Keys for SSH Tunneling. If you are eager to find out more about Screens 2.0, do not miss reviews by MacStories and iMore.

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